He was elected to council in 1966, and served four years as deputy reeve. In 1980 he ran for a seat on the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, but lost by six votes. He was appointed mayor in July 1984 after mayor Fred Barrett died in office. He was challenged in the 1985 elections by aldermen Harry Allen and Royal Galipeau, with Allen emerging victorious by just over a thousand votes. In 1988 he returned to council, defeating Harold Keenan.

Gloucester city council voted in 1990 to rename Regional Road 8, where Owens lived, to Mitch Owens Road, after residents along the lengthy street signed a petition to have it renamed. Owens retired from politics prior to the 1991 elections at age 70.